Breast-feeding is the preferred method of feeding infants. Breast fed infants have a decreased chance of becoming obese later in life, compared to standard formula fed infants, but little is known about the effects of ingredients in the infant formulae on obesity later in life. Obesity is a major health problem in the Western world. It is a medical condition in which excess fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and it is associated with many diseases, particularly heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.
Infant nutrition with a lipid component preventing obesity later in life are known. WO 2007/073192 relates to infant formulae comprising a low amount of linoleic acid and a low weight ratio of linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid and LC-PUFA for the prevention of obesity later in life. WO 2007/073193 relates to infant formulae with specific linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid ratio's, low linoleic acid content and comprising phospholipids, sphingolipids, cholesterol and/or choline plus uridine for the prevention of obesity later in life.
The lipid component in infant formulae typically is present in the form of small lipid globules, which are obtained after a severe homogenization step. Small lipid globules are desired because it results in a stable, non creaming, emulsion of lipid globules. The globules have a large surface area and because of the low amount of polar lipids, such as phospholipids, in the vegetable oils, the surface of the lipid globules is coated mainly with proteins, typically casein.
WO 2010/0027258 and WO 2010/0027259 relate to infant formulae with large lipid globules coated with phospholipids for the prevention of obesity later in life.
Infant formulae comprise predominantly vegetable oils as lipid source and in vegetable oils, unlike in human or bovine milk fat, the palmitic acid is mainly located at the sn-1 and sn-3 position of the triglyceride molecule. The pancreatic lipases specifically hydrolyse the palmitic acid and the liberated free palmitic acid easily forms calcium-fatty acid complexes in the intestine, thereby reducing the bioavailability of calcium and palmitic acid and increasing stool hardness.
Synthetic or structured lipids are known in the art which comprise more palmitic acid residues in the sn-2 position and their presence in infant formulae increases palmitic acid absorption, calcium absorption and softness of stools. Also an increase in bone mass is reported. Reduction of obesity later in life has never been disclosed.
WO 2005/051091 discloses a lipid preparation, to be included in infant formulae as a beneficial ingredient per se and for improving cognitive and vision development in particular, that is organised in a globular microstructure naturally occurring in human milk that is based on vegetal lipids and a combination of the glycerophospholipids phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol (PI), and structured triglycerides such as Betapol® or InFat™. The lipid preparation further can be enriched with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, especially DHA and ARA.
WO 2010/068105 discloses nutritional compositions for infants with a large lipid globule size. The present invention aims to provide infant nutrition with a lipid component beneficially effecting health and/or the body composition later in life.